Core device



June 4, 1963 Filed Aug. 8, 1962 wig J. F. SCHULTES I NVEN TOR. Ji'ilflas' Fir/Fillies,

ATTORNEYS.

June 4, 1963 J. F. SCHULTES 3,092,189

CORE DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY @Js GZJ? A TTOKIVE 761 United States Patent 3,092,189 CORE DEVICE James F. Sehultes, Woodbury, NJ., assignor to A. C. Schuites & Sons, Inc., Woodbury, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 215,663 Claims. (1. 17577) This invention relates to soil sampling apparatus, and more particularly it relates to a novel soil sampling tool for use in well drilling operations.

During the course of well drilling operations, it is a commonly known procedure to take samples of the soil strata being drilled at various elevations as the drilling progresses. One method for sampling in this manner is that employing a tubular structure having an open end which is placed adjacent the bottom of the hole being drilled and attached to a rod or line communicating with the top of the hole, whereafter the open end of the tube is driven into the soil at the bottom of the hole by jarring, hammering or the like until the tubular section is fed to the desired depth, whereupon the tubular section is withdrawn from the hole and the sample taken therefrom for analysis. However, it is often necessary or desirable to obtain soil samples at various elevations in the hole after the full depth of the hole has been drilled, rather than always sampling the bottom of the hole at various drilling intervals. This latter object can obviously only be accomplished by taking the sample of soil at least to some extent laterally of the hole itself, since the drilling operation removes soil from the bore of the hole in a conventional manner.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a soil sampling apparatus for use in obtaining samples laterally of a drilled well.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a soil sampling apparatus which is totally mechanical in its operation and does not utilize electric, electronic, or percussive effects to accomplish its purpose.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a soil sampling apparatus which is readily adapted to the use of soil sampling equipment which is commercially available.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a soil sampling apparatus which is adjustable with respect to the length of soil sample taken.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from a reading of the following specification and drawings wherein;

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a drill stn'ng embodying the sampling tool of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 1 of the sampling device itself;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through a strata of soil to be sampled and showing details of the sampling device in operation;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a later step in the operation of the sampling tool;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a still later step in the operation of the sampling tool;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a still later step in the operation of the sampling tool;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view in partial section taken longitudinally through the casing of the sampling device; FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 in front elevation;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7, showing certain details of the sampling tool during one stage of operation;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows XX of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows X[XI of FIG. 8;

"ice

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows XIL-XII of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows XIIIXIII of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a drill string comprising a line 11, a joint 12, a pair of jars 1-3, a core barrel 14, and a nose cone 15. The core barrel 14 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The line 1 1, which may be fabricated from either wire rope or natural fiber or the like, is of indefinite length suitable for plumbing the depth of the hole to be drilled, and has its bottom end secured in the upper end of the joint 12. This joint 12 as well as the other elements of the drill string have a generally cylindrical outer configuration so as to be readily accommodated by a cylindrical hole. The jars 13 are the conventional oil country jars used principally for the fishing of tools from wells and are of conventional construction. The upper end of the pair of jars 13 is fitted with a tapered end threaded pin 16 which is screwed into the bottom of the joint 12 wherein corresponding threads are formed. The pair of jars 13 has a similarly threaded socket formed at the lower end thereof for the engagement therewith of the tapered and threaded pin 17 formed at the top of the core barrel 14. A set of squares 18 is formed slightly below the upper end of the core barrel 14. Mediate of the squares 18 and the lower end of the oore barrel 14 are two slotted openings 19', 20, cut through the cylindrical wall of the core barrel 14. Disposed within the core barrel 14 and positioned adjacent said openings 19 and 20 respectively, are an upper sampling tube 21 and a lower sampling tube 22. A nose cone 15 having interrupted threads 24 formed thereon is adjustably disposed within the lower end of the core barrel 14 so as to extend partially therefrom.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the core barrel 14 is shown to be constructed of an outer cylindrical casing 25 having interrupted threads 26 formed interiorly thereof for a portion of its length adjacent its lower end. The sampling tubes 21 and 22 are shown in side elevation in FIG. 7, details thereof being shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 1 1, and 12. The structure of each sampling tube 21, 22, is identical and consists of a sampling barrel 27, a socket portion 28 into which the sampling barrel is received in threaded engagement. The socket portion 28 is supported by a pair of disc-like trunnions 29 and afiixed thereto, while a generally triangularly shaped brace 30 is affixed both to the trunnions 29 and the socket portion 28. The trunnions 29 are centrally bored and fitted with bushings 31 and disposed in pivotable contact with a pair of internal bosses 32 formed on the casing 25. The bosses 31 are likewise bored, and a pivot shaft 33 is disposed through the aligned bores of the bosses 32, bushings 31 and trunnions 29'. As so constructed, the sampling barrel 27 is free to pivot (about the shaft 33 and swing in an are through the slotted opening 20 from the upright position shown in FIG. 7 to the downward position shown by the broken lines at the lower end of the casing 25. The sampling tube 22 has its sampling barrel 27 restrained normally from movement out of the core barrel by means of a trigger pin 34, which is disposed downwardly through a transverse bulkhead 35 within a longitudinal bore formed therein, the head of the trigger pin 35 having a stop 36 and a ring 37 aiiixed thereto. A line 38 connects the ring 37 to -'a ring 39 affixed to the brace 30 of the upper sampling tube 21. The ltrunnions 29 are also supported by a cross member 40. A spring 41 is affixed to and coiled about each pivot shaft 33 and an extension leg 41a thereof adapted to grip the lower edge of each brace 30, whereby the spring force of spring 41 tends to pivot the upper sampling tube 21 out of its slotted opening 19, and to pivot o the lower sampling tube 22 out of its slotted opening 20.

A sole plate 42 is hingedly affixed to the front edge of a spacer 43, the space between the spacer 43 and the sole plate 42 being filled with a resilient material such asplastic, foam rubber, or the like. The spacer 43 is alfixed to the top surface of the nose cone 1-5 by tapscrews 44. The end of the sole plate opposite the hinged portion thereof is arcuately shaped and provided with a vertical heel member 45, the configuration of which is defined by a radius at least as great as the radius of the lower sampling tube 22. It will be seen from FIG. 13 that the nose cone 15 may be longitudinally adjusted within the casing by circumferentially displacing the interrupted'threads 24 from the interrupted threads 26, and upon achieving the desired adjustment the threads 24, 26 are again engaged.

It will be seen from FIG. 9 that the pivoting of the upper sampling tube 21 out of the slotted opening 19, causes the trigger pin 34 to be displaced upwardly through the bore in the :transverse bulkhead and out of the open end of the lower sampling tube 22, the purpose of such motion which will be described hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6, there are shown step-wise operations in the use of the sampling tool of this invention, within a previously bored hole 50 which has been drilled in a strata 51 which may be composed of loose sand, gravel, mud, or similar substance, specifically excepting hard strata such as rock, shale and the like. To take a sampling utilizing the apparatus of this invention, a drill suing such as that shown in FIG. 1 is lowered nose cone first into the hole 50' with the sampling tubes 21, 22 in the relative position shown in dotted lines in FIG; 3. A transversely disposed pin 52 in the casing 25 prevents the urging of the upper sampling tube 21 out of the slotted opening 19 until the core barrel 14 has been lowered to the position shown in FIG. 3. At that point, the transverse pin 52 is manually removed 1 from the casing 25, and the drill string lowered as indicated in FIG. 4 by the directional arrow. At this time it is seen that the upper sampling tube 21 has been urged out of its original alignment within the core barrel '14 and is being dragged along the interior surface of the hole 50; When the level at which it is desired to take a sample of the strata '51 is reached, the downward motion of the drill string is stopped, and an upward motion thereof instituted. This upward motion causes the upper sampling tube 21 to engage the relatively rough surface of the hole Sllqand to dig thereinto, While at the same time pivoting about the pivot shaft 33 duringthe upward movement of, the drill stringthrough the various broken and solid line positions shown in FIG. 5. It will likewise 'be apparent that during the pivoting of, the upper sampling tube 21, the trigger pin 34 is dislodged as in FIG. 9 from the end of the lower sampling tube 22. The lower sampling tube 22 is thereby caused to become displaced from the core barrel 14, forced into the strata 51, and

pivoted through the dotted and solid. positions of it shown in FIG. 5, all during the upward motion of the drill string. In FIG. 6, it is seen that the continued upward 'motion of the drill string and the weight of the sampling tubes 21, 22 has carried the tubes into a downwardly oriented position, where the lower sampling tube 22 has the open end of the sampling. barrel 27 lodged against the 'sole plate 42 and the member 45, thereby retaining the soil sample from dislodgement duringthe upward travel'of the drill string. Since the position of the sole plate 42 maybe longitudinally adjusted by means of the interruptedthreads 24, 26, it is apparent that different lengths of sampling barrels'27 may be accommodated as the lower sampling .tube 22. Although it is possible to retain a sample in the upper, sampling tube 21, it is often the case that the vibration which occurs during the upward travel of the drill string will dislodge the sample of strata from the uppersampling tube 21.

4 Upon removal of the drill string from the hole 50, the samplmg tubes 21, 22 may be readily pivoted out of the casing for removal of the soil samples. Alternatively;

' the sampling barrels 27 of the sampling tubes 21, 22 may defined in the subjoined claims. a

be unscrewed from the socket portions 28, and the soil samples'then removed. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art of oil country equipment that the barrels 27 may be constructed solid or split in the conventional manner.

The sampling apparatus of this invention insures a high percentage of useable samples out of a series of sampling attempts. The trigger action employed herein permits the lower sampling tube 22 to remain protected within the casing 25 until the moment at which it is desired to actuate the device. This limits the possibility that sampling tube 2 might be accidentally caused to pivot to the lower position shown in FIG. 7 while the drill string is proceeding downwardly in the event that a hole in the side wall of hole 50 is encountered. Even if such an encountered hole should cause the upper sampling tube 2.1 to pivot and trigger the lower sampling tube 22, the chances of a successful sampling are doubled.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a pre- Having thus described my invention, I olaim z' l. A soil sampling device including, in combination;

(a) a drilling line,

(b) a cylindrical casing aflixed to one end of said line,

(c) a first tubular sampling means disposed within said casing longitudinally thereof,

said casing having an opening formed therein adjacent said first tubular sampling means, said first tubular sam: pling. means being adapted to pivot about a transverse axis located atone end thereof through approximately degrees of arc with respect to the longitudinal axis of said casing,

(d) a second tubular sampling means disposed within said casing longitudinally thereof in spaced apart relationship to the pivoting locus of said first tubular sampling means,

said casing having an opening formed therein adjacent said second tubular sampling means, said second tubular sampling means being adapted to pivot about a transverse axis located at one end thereof through approximately 180 degrees of arc with respect to the longitudinal axis of said casing, e

. (e) trigger meansdisposed within said casing and adapted to releaseably engage said' second tubular sampling means at the end thereof opposite said transverse axis thereof, a

(f) linkage means connecting said first tubular sampling means and said trigger means and adapted to 7 mediate of said first tubular sampling means and said closure means.

2. The soil sampling device in accordance With claim 1, wherein said openings adjacent said first and second sampling means have configurations which permit said first and second tubular sampling means to project therethrough during said 180 degree pivot.

3. The soil sampling device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first and second tubular sampling means each comprise an open ended barrel member, a pivot shaft afiixed transversely of one end of said barrel member, said pivot shaft being fixedly journalled transversely of said casing.

4. The soil sampling device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said closure means comprises a generally conoid structure having a cylindrical base extension, said extension having interrupted thread portions formed thereon, interrupted threads formed interior-1y of said cylindrical casing and complemental to said interrupted thread portions on said extension.

5. A soil sampling device including, in combination;

(a) a drilling line,

(b) a cylindrical casing affixed to one end of said line,

(c) a first tubular sampling means disposed within sa d casing longitudinally thereof, said casing having an opening formed therein adjacent said first tubular sampling means, said first tubular sampling means being adapted to pivot about a transverse axis located at one end thereof through approximately degrees of arc with respect to the longitudinal axis of said casing,

(d) a second tubular sampling means disposed within said casing longitudinally thereof in spaced apart relationship to the pivoting locus of said first tubular sampling means,

said casing having an opening formed therein adjacent said second tubular sampling means, said second tubular sampling means being adapted to pivot about a transverse axis located at one end thereof through approximately 180 degrees of arc With respect to the longitudinal axis of said casing,

(e) trigger means disposed within said casing and adapted to releaseably engage said second tubular sampling means at the end thereof opposite said transverse axis thereof,

(f) linkage means connecting said first tubular sampling means and said trigger means and adapted to release said trigger means from engagement with said second tubular sampling means upon pivotal movement of said first tubular sampling means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,661 Williston July 21, 1931 2,326,405 Spencer Aug. 10, 1943 2,697,585 Chaney et al. Dec. 21, 1954 2,959,397 Gardner et a1. Nov. 8, 1960 

5. A SOIL SAMPLING DEVICE INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION; (A) A DRILLING LINE, (B) A CYLINDRICAL CASING AFFIXED TO ONE END OF SAID LINE, (C) A FIRST TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, SAID CASING HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN ADJACENT SAID FIRST TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS, SAID FIRST TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PIVOT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS LOCATED AT ONE END THEREOF THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES OF ARC WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CASING, (D) A SECOND TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP TO THE PIVOTING LOCUS OF SAID FIRST TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS, SAID CASING HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN ADJACENT SAID SECOND TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS, SAID SECOND TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PIVOT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS LOCATED AT ONE END THEREOF THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES OF ARC WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CASING, (E) TRIGGER MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING AND ADAPTED TO RELEASEABLY ENGAGE SAID SECOND TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS AT THE END THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID TRANSVERSE AXIS THEREOF, (F) LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS AND SAID TRIGGER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO RELEASE SAID TRIGGER MEANS FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS UPON PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST TUBULAR SAMPLING MEANS. 